1989 Action Packed Test

 

A year before their first official release, Action Packed distributed a test set featuring cards from just three NFL teams: the Giants, the Bears and the Washington team. I'm not sure that I ever knew that these were released in pack form, but when I saw one at a card show over the summer for just a buck, I figured I needed one for "research purposes".

29 - Mark Rypien - The card design is nearly indistinguishable from the full fledged 1990 set. The player photos and gold frame are embossed more of a 3D feel.

25 - Wilber Marshall - This is hardly an "action packed" photo, but it's probably a bit tough to figure out what to do with a lineman.

- Washington Team Logo hologram sticker - A couple of years before Upper Deck's first NFL set sees a different company producing hologram stickers as an insert. I don't know what caused these to be dropped from the first official set, but they look nice in person as holograms usually do. There's a 1-900 number on it as well, which purported to connect the caller with the "Exclusive Sports Collectors' Hotline" for just $1.00 for the first minute and 50 cents for each additional minute. Did anyone try this?

16 - Leonard Marshall - Here's another lineman, just waiting for some action.

13 - Mark Bavaro - Supposedly this set was notorious for cards being seriously damaged straight out of the pack, and Bavaro's card is in the worst shape of the lot, with several creases running through it.

7 - Jay Hilgenberg - To prove that American football is a team sport and not just a solo venture featuring people in ridiculous looking gear, we get to see Hilgenberg actually doing his job and holding off his opponent to presumably protect the quarterback.

5 - Dennis Gentry - Here's a look at the back, which should look very familiar to those of you who have seen a bunch of the 1990 set.